Kirilenko likes Russia's chances in China: ''This could be our swan song''
A deep squad, players in their prime, confidence on a high - Russia are looking good heading to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and Andrei Kirilenko is playing overture to a swan song.
MOSCOW (Russia) - A deep squad, players in their prime, confidence on a high - Russia are looking good heading to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and Andrei Kirilenko is playing overture to a swan song.
"About 12 real candidates apply for 12 positions in the national team. This has not happened for a long time," the President of the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF) said, with an announcement that the field could become even deeper for Russia who plan on hosting a training camp with the reserve squad days before the senior squad gets together on June 20.
"This is a useful practice when we gather potential candidates for the national team. The guys who will form the backbone of the national team in the coming years can get acquainted with the requirements of the head coach (Sergey Bazarevich) and feel the team atmosphere."
"FOR MANY OF OUR PLAYERS WHO ARE 30 AND OLDER, THIS IS PERHAPS THE LAST CHANCE TO PLAY IN A MAJOR TOURNAMENT. THEREFORE OUR EXPERIENCED GUYS WILL PLAY AT 120 PERCENT OF THEIR CAPABILITIES."
"If someone shows he is worthy of a place at the World Cup, he will continue working out with the team and get a chance to go to China. We're giving a wider range of players the opportunity to prove themselves," Kirilenko explained.
Russia will go through a similar process with the women's team ahead of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2019 and give the men's team's coaching staff an opportunity to observe what works and what doesn't in order to then apply the program with any potential amendments and/or corrections.
With the new kids coming in, the reserve squad fighting it out for a place among the final 12, and the team coming off of successful campaigns at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, it's easy to understand why Kirilenko - the FIBA EuroBasket 2007 MVP - is feeling confident about the nation's chances of achieving success at the summit in China.
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"For many of our players who are 30 and older, this is perhaps the last chance to play in a major tournament. Therefore our experienced guys will play at 120 percent of their capabilities to get the result," he pointed out. "You could say it will be a swan song."
In the First Round, Russia will play in Group B in Wuhan, taking on Nigeria, Korea and Argentina. Should they advance to the Second Round, things look promising for them on paper, as they would face Poland, Cote d'Ivoire, Venezuela or China and avoid matchups with juggernauts such as USA, Spain, Serbia, France, Australia, Canada or Greece until the Final Phase.
"ABOUT 12 REAL CANDIDATES APPLY FOR 12 POSITIONS IN THE NATIONAL TEAM. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED FOR A LONG TIME."
Russia won a pair of silver medals at the World Cup in 1994 and 1998 but haven't been around the podium in the time since, having to settle for 10th in 2002 and 7th in 2010. The team has not won a medal at a major competition since the London 2012 Olympics in London. Kirilenko believes the drought will be over soon, despite the hard injury of point guard Dmitry Khvostov.
"It will be very difficult but I'm sure coach Bazarevich will find a way how to replace him," the legendary Russian said, once again showing he is in a good mood and optimistic when the national team is in question.
FIBA